Key



W. A. LOTZ.

KEY. APPLICATION FILED AUG. I0. 1918.

AIIORNEI'IS.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

WILLIAM A. LOTZ, or NEWARK, NEW annsny, ASSIGNOB TO THE R. NEUMANNHARD-WARE (10., A ooaroiis'rron on NEW annsnv.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Application filed. August 10, 1918. Serial No. 249,255. r 1

T all 7mm it may concern Be 1t known that 1, WILLIAM A. Loan, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essexand fitate of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in Keys; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tocharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates, generally, to improvements in keys; and, thepresent invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel form ofkey for use especially with bag-frame locks, and V ducing such key, witha view of providing a key having a main cylindrical shank or body whichis solid, and having flattened out end-members, the flattened-outlock-engaging end of the key being made with a centering stud of teat,so as to be adapted for use with a bag-frame lock in which the usualkey-receiving and key centering post is dispensed, the post-carryingplate of the lock, in lieu of such post, being simply provided with ahole or perforation for the reception of the centering stud or teat whenthe key is inserted in the lock.

The present invention, therefore, has for its principal object toprovide a key of the general character hereinafter more fully set forth,and a novel method of making the same, with a view of carrying out thehereinabove stated purposes.

The invention has for its further object to provide a key, in lieu ofaflat key in its entirety, or in lieu of theusual key having the usualtubular shank, so that the key as herein made can be centered in theusually formed key-hole of the lock, the cylindrical body-portion of thekey main taining the latter in its properly centered and verticalrelation in the key-hole, for the proper manipulation of the-mechanismof the lock.

Other objects of the present invention not at this time moreparticularly enumerated will be clearly understood from the followingdescription of the same.

lVith the various objects of the present invention'in view, the saidinvention consists,

novel method of pro-' primarily, in the novel key hereinafter more fullyset forth; and, the invention con sists, furthermore, in the novelmethod of making the key, all of which will be more fully described inthe following specification, and then finally embodied in the clauses ofthe claims which are appended to and which form an essential part of thesaid specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Y Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig.2 an edge elevation of afinished key made according to and embodying the principles of thepresent invention.

Fig; 3 is a view of a piece of wire or rod, prior to being formed withthe key; Fig. 4 is a view of the said wire or red, showing anend-portion thereof bent in the form of a loop, said views illustrating,respectively,

the first and second steps 1n the operation, of

making the key; and Fig. Sis a view showing the respective end-portionsof the wire or rod pressed out fiat, prior to the last step intheoperation of cutting away certain parts of said flattened portions,on the dotted lines in said Fig. 5, to produce the finished key. v

Fig. 6 is a side view of the finished key, in-' serted for operation inthe bag-frame look, the latter being represented in longitudinalvertical section; and Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional representation ofthe key, and a top view of a fragmentary portion of the 7 look withwhich the key is to be used, said section being taken on line T7 andlooking in the direction of the arrows in said Fig. 6.

Similar characters of reference are em-' ployed in all, of the saidabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 6 of the drawings, thereferencecharacter 1 indicates complete key made according to theprinciples of the present invention, the same comprising a solid andpreferably cylindrical main body-portion or shank, as 2, provided uponits one end-portion with a flattened-out bow or loop, as 3, forming anintegral part of the said body or shank 2. The opposite end of the saidbodyportion or shank 2 is also flattened-out, as at 4:, the saidflattened-out portion having extending therefrom a key-bit 5 and "acentering stud or teat 6, all of said parts being integrally connectedand the flattenedout portion 4: forming an integral part of said mainbody or shank 2.

In carrying out the novel method of producing the key, I first out froma rod or Wire, of cylindrical form, a piece 7, see Fig. 3, of suitablelength, and bend the one endportion thereof into a loop or how 8, asindicated in Fig. at of the drawings. By means of pressure, in suitabledies, or otherwise, this loop or how 8 and the opposite end-portion ofthe wire or rod 7 are next flattened-out, as at 9 and 10, see Fig. of

the drawings, the surplus parts of the fiattened-out portions 9 and 10being next cut away on the dotted lines 11 and 12, indicated in saidFig. 5, to provide the com-.

plete key herein-before described and illus trated in said Figs. 1, 2and 6.

The use of the key and the purposes of the cylindrical body or shank 2,and the flat centering stud or teat 6 in connection with a bag-framelock are illustrated more particularly in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings.

In said Figs. 6 and 7, the reference-character 13 indicates one form ofbag-frame lock let indicating the usual push-piece or operatingmechanism carried by the vertically movable plate 15. In the usualconstruction of lock, this plate has a vertically disposed and upwardlyprojecting key-centering post with whichthe hollow or tubular end of thekey-shank registers. 71th the present construction of key, however, thispost is dispensed with, and in lieu thereof, the plate 15 has a hole orperforation 16 for reception of the previously mentioned key-stud orteat 6, as clearly shown in said Fig. 6 0f the drawings.

In referring to Fig. 7 of the drawings, it will be seen that thekey-hole is of the usual configuration and comprises the circularopening 17 and rectangularly shaped open part 18 extending therefrom,the circular opening 17 serving to receive the cylindrical body or shank2 of the key to maintain the key in its proper vertical position withinthe lock and prevent it from moving sidewise into the slot or open part18 of the key-hole to prevent the proper manipulation of the key, aswill be clearly evident.

With hollow or tubular key-shanks, the

narily cast-metal or the sheet-metal key,

and the cost of construction of the same is greatly reduced.

1. An improved key comprising a main solid cylindrical shank, said shankbeing provided with a flattened-out end-portion, said flattened-outportion being formed with a bit-extension and a centeringstud,

all being made from a single piece.

2. An improved key comprising a main solid cylindrical shank, said shankbeing provided at one end with a flattened-out end-portion bent into aloop or bow, and said shank being provided at its other end with asecond flattened-out portion formed with a bitextension and a centeringstud, all being made from a single piece.

3. The method herein-described of producing a key which consists intaking a cylindrical bar of proper length, being one of the end-portionsof said bar in the form of a how, by means of pressure flattening-outsaid bow and also the opposite end-portion of said bar, and cutting awayparts of said last-mentioned flattened-out end-portion to provide saidend-portion with a key-bit and a centering stud, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this 7th day of August, 1918.

WILLIAM A. LOTZ.

lVitnesses FREDK'C. FRAENTZEL,

F imnx H. W. FRAENTZEL.

